You shouldn’t have to cut your food into tiny pieces or hide your smile during conversations. At Palos Verdes Dental Care, Dr. Arsany Bechay sees patients every day who’ve been avoiding their favorite foods or covering their mouths when they laugh because of damaged or missing teeth. Crowns and bridges can eliminate these daily frustrations by rebuilding your teeth’s structure and filling gaps that affect both your confidence and your ability to chew properly.
Crowns and Bridges
Understanding Dental Crowns and Bridges
A dental crown acts like a protective helmet for your tooth, completely covering everything above the gum line. When your tooth has been weakened by a large cavity, root canal treatment, or crack, a crown restores its original shape and provides the strength needed for normal chewing. Think of it as giving your damaged tooth a second chance to function properly.
A bridge literally bridges the gap where you’re missing one or more teeth. It consists of artificial teeth anchored to crowns that fit over the healthy teeth on either side of the empty space. The artificial teeth in the middle replace what you’ve lost, while the anchor crowns provide stability and support for the entire restoration.
Benefits of Crowns and Bridges
Our Crown and Bridge Treatment Process
Comprehensive Examination and Digital Planning
Dr. Arsany Bechay begins with detailed x-rays and 3D imaging to assess your tooth structure and surrounding bone health. We discuss your specific concerns and examine how your bite currently functions with any damaged or missing teeth. This thorough evaluation helps us determine whether crowns, bridges, or a combination of treatments will give you the best long-term results.
Precision Tooth Preparation and Impressions
We carefully reshape your teeth to create the ideal foundation for your new restorations. Local anesthesia ensures you remain comfortable while we remove damaged portions and create space for your crown or bridge. High-tech digital scanners capture exact measurements of your prepared teeth, eliminating the need for messy impression materials.
Temporary Protection During Fabrication
Custom temporary crowns or bridges protect your prepared teeth while our dental laboratory crafts your permanent restorations. These temporaries allow you to eat and speak normally during the 2-3 week fabrication period. We schedule a brief follow-up if any adjustments to your temporaries are needed for optimal comfort.
Expert Fitting and Bite Refinement
Dr. Bechay carefully places your completed crowns or bridges, checking the fit against your gums and adjacent teeth. We test your bite using specialized paper to ensure even contact across all surfaces when you chew. Multiple small adjustments ensure your new restorations feel natural and function seamlessly with your existing teeth.
Long-Term Care Instructions and Monitoring
We provide specific cleaning techniques and tools designed for your particular restoration type. Your personalized maintenance plan includes recommendations for toothbrushes, floss types, and any special cleaning aids you’ll need. Regular checkup appointments allow us to monitor your restorations and catch any potential issues before they become problems.
Why Choose Us Our Solutions to Crowns and Bridges
Dr. Bechay takes precise digital impressions that eliminate the gagging and discomfort many patients experience with traditional impression materials. Our in-house coordination with trusted dental laboratories means your crowns and bridges are crafted by technicians who understand exactly how Dr. Bechay prefers each restoration to fit and function. You won’t wait weeks wondering about your treatment timeline because we provide clear scheduling and keep you informed throughout every step.
Many patients tell us they appreciate our thorough bite analysis before any work begins. Dr. Bechay examines how your jaw moves and where pressure points occur, ensuring your new restorations won’t create future problems with your jaw joints. Our detailed pre-treatment planning prevents the need for multiple adjustment appointments that other practices often require.
Restore Multiple Teeth with Custom Solutions!
Stop planning your meals around which foods won’t hurt your teeth or cause embarrassment. Dr. Arsany Bechay and the Palos Verdes Dental Care team have helped hundreds of patients return to eating steaks, biting into apples, and laughing freely without covering their mouths. Your crowns and bridges consultation can be the first step toward eliminating those daily dental frustrations that have been holding you back.
Call 310-377-5538 to book your appointment and find out if you’re a candidate for same-day temporary placement. Our scheduling team will discuss your specific concerns and arrange convenient appointment times that work around your busy schedule. Check out our Facebook and Instagram pages where patients share their before-and-after photos and Dr. Bechay posts quick videos answering common crown and bridge questions.
FAQs
What are crowns and bridges?
Crowns completely cover damaged teeth like a cap, protecting what remains of your natural tooth structure underneath. Bridges fill spaces left by missing teeth using artificial teeth connected to crowns on either side for support. Both dental restorations are cemented permanently in place, so they won’t slip or move when you eat or speak.
How to clean crowns and bridges?
Brush your crowns and bridges twice daily with fluoride toothpaste just like you would natural teeth. Special floss threaders or water flossers help you clean under bridge pontics where regular floss can’t reach effectively. Dr. Bechay recommends specific cleaning tools during your appointment based on your particular crown and bridge configuration.
What's the difference between crowns and bridges?
Dental crowns restore individual teeth that are cracked, broken, or weakened by large fillings or root canal treatment. Bridges replace missing teeth by spanning the gap with artificial teeth supported by crowns on adjacent natural teeth. You need crowns when your existing teeth can be saved, but bridges when teeth are already gone.
Can you get braces with crowns and bridges?
Orthodontic treatment with existing crowns and bridges requires careful planning since these restorations won’t move like natural teeth. Your orthodontist may use special brackets or alternative techniques to work around your dental work. The teeth supporting your crowns and bridges can still be repositioned, but the process takes longer and costs more than standard braces.
Can crowns and bridges be whitened?
Professional teeth whitening treatments don’t affect the color of crowns and bridges since they’re made from porcelain or other materials. If you want whiter teeth, complete your whitening before getting your dental restorations made to match your desired shade. Existing crowns and bridges that look too yellow compared to your natural teeth will need replacement to achieve uniform color.